lessthanjakefandomcom-20200213-history
The Planet Smashers
The Planet Smashers are a ska punk band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Since their formation in 1994, they have been a staple of the Montreal music scene. During the third wave of ska, they quickly rose to national, and eventual international fame, with tours in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Founding member Matt Collyer helped establish Stomp Records in 1994, which featured many ska and ska punk bands, including Montreal's The Kingpins, The Flatliners, The Know How, and Bedouin Soundclash. Their music has been used in the Japanese flash series Catman, Canadian show Radio Free Roscoe, and MTV 's Undergrads (shown on Teletoon in Canada). Lyrics by The Planet Smashers often deal with topics such as love, partying and good times, and sometimes use tongue-in-cheek innuendos. History Early Years The name "The Planet Smashers" was first used in 1992 for a band including Matt Collyer and Ceco Munaretto and a series of other members. These groups played punk and Manchestor rock and did not complete any recordings. They did perform live shows and the songs "Coolest Guy" and "Vampire" come from this period. First Lineup 1993-1996 The name solidified into the current format in 1993 when Matt and Ceco decided to introduce horns into the band and focus on ska. Travis Wilkinson (Trombone) was attracted to the band by a misleading poster that read Its' your big break, goofball trombone player needed for ska band that's huge in Belgium with confirmed European tour. The other original members were Dave Cooper (Drums) and Andrew Skowronski (Tenor Saxophone). They practiced in the McGill University music department until kicked out and their first gig was at the now defunct "Station 10" on March 17th 2004. The band played small Montreal venues like "Purple Haze" and "Jailhouse" and at ska festivals. All the band members contributed original material and sets would include a few ska/punk cover tunes. A first demo of 3 songs was recorded in Dave's apartment but not released. Later the band recorded their first cassette in a weekend session, using studio time won by one of Matt's defunct former bands "The Thrill Killers". The quality of this recording was not very high, but it helped get the band more gigs and visibility, including shows outside of Montreal. Popular destinations for the band included the Toucan in Kingston, The Pit in Ottawa and Sneaky Dees in Toronto. The band was an important part of the vibrant local ska scene that existed in Montreal in the mid-90s. The self-titled CD was recorded in spring 1995. Because of a tight budget it was produced and recorded by the band in Dave's apartment on a 12 track tape recorder. This album includes favorites like "Pee in the Elevator" and "Janice". The band had its first cross country tour promoting its release in the summer of 1995. In 1996 the band's summer tour extended into the United States. The band suffered mishaps like a broken saxophone, multiple van breakdowns and an issue at the border that prevented Travis from completing the tour. After a few more shows in Montreal the original lineup broke up, with Ceco, Andrew and Travis leaving the band. Recent history 1997-Present The Planet Smashers have continued, with Matt and Dave remaining as core members and a series of new members and sidemen. Dave switched from drums to bass guitar when Tim Doyle joined the band. The band often plays "all-ages" shows and the playful lyrics and the high energy music has proven popular with teenage listeners. The band is one of the most popular ska bands in Canada and continues to tour and perform. The band has hinted on June 30th 2010, while playing at the Jonquière en musique music festival, that the band was working a new album, aimed for a February 2011 release. Current members *Matt Collyer (Guitar, Lead Vocals) *Dave Cooper (Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals) *Andrew Lattoni (Trombone, Backing Vocals) *Neil "Lonestar" Johnson (Tenor Saxophone, Backing vocals) *Fred Brenton (Drums) Discography *''Unstoppable'' (2005) *''TEN'' (2004) (DVD) *''Mighty'' (2003) *''Fabricated'' (2002) (compilation) *''No Self Control'' (2001) *''Smash Hits'' (1999) (compilation) *''Life of the Party'' (1999) *''Attack of The Planet Smashers'' (1997) *''Inflate to 45 RPM'' (1995) (vinyl) *''The Planet Smashers'' (1995) *''Meet The Planet Smashers'' (1994) (demo) Videography *''Bullets to the Ground'' (2005) *''Raise Your Glass'' (2005) *''J'aime Ta Femme (I Like Your Girl)'' (2003) *''Explosive'' (2003) *''Blind'' (2001) *''Wish I Were American'' (2001) *''Fabricated'' (2001) *''Hey Hey'' (2001) *''Surfing In Tofino'' (1999) *''Super Orgy Porno Party'' (1999) *''Too Much Attitude'' (1999) *''Change'' (1998) *''My Decision'' (1997) *''Mission Aborted'' (1995) External links *Official Site *Interview with Neil & Dave Category:Bands LTJ have played with Category:Links to Wikipedia